Since doing the LTBP program and water therapy I am largely free from back and sciatic pain. However, I have recently been under a lot of stress at work, or rather I should say I allowed work matters to have a negative stress impact on me.
Anyway, I found that I was starting to get minor symptoms of sciatica again in my leg. I took some time to relax, did the LTBP exercises again and it eased off quite quickly.
However I wonder why feeling under stress did this?
Does anyone have any similar experiences -do your symptoms get worse under stress-and what do you do?
When your body is under stress, naturally your response is for your muscles to contract, which will be having an adverse effect on your condition. I find I am a streesfull person, but only due to my back pain, so I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Unless my back is pain free I will, be stressed about it, which will only keep my muscles tense and me chaing my tail.
Permalink Reply by Ann on April 20, 2008 at 10:23am
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your reply, that makes sense. I appreciate that. It then seems it can become a cycle of stress-pain-stress, especially if we get worried about the pain.
I think the thing is to break the cycle if we can. Tackle the underlying stress and the physical pain. What I find can work for me is meditation/relaxation CD's, getting in the water (which I find mentally and physically relaxing) and to do things I know work for my sciatica (like LTBP).
Hi Ann!
I'm Kathy and I just joined the forum tonight - and it's really late, but I am very curious as to what kind of water therapy you did. Would you explain please? I actually took a water therapy class from a Dr. of Naturopathy and I was amazed as to how many types of water therapy's there are!
Thanks
Good to meet you. Sorry for the delay in replying, I am just recovering from a nasty virus and just saw this.
Re the water therapy, I took advice from Steve Hefferon and my neurosurgeon about what to do. I felt confident about it and would have had to wait months for a class here so I did it myself.
Essentially at first I was in so much pain with my back and legs that i just got in the water and hung over the side, floated, sat in the hot tub and just walked a bit. Then as the pain eased I progressed to doing some of the lose the back pain exercises in the water and scissoring my legs, treading water, water walking forwards,backwards etc and progressing with exercise. I spent time in the hot tub and in the warm pool mainly.
I found being in the water really helped me a lot, along with the LTBP system. That combination for me, got me on the road to recovery :)
What was your water therapy class like? I would be interested to know.
It seems that wherever you weakest link is that were the pain will start. I know when I have a cold my back and legs hurt, other people that have joint pain feel the worst when they are sick.